Benji
“Benji” is one of those movies that feels out of place. Recently, my wife and I found a copy of the movie after bringing a Lhaso Apso into our family. The name they gave it at the shelter was Benji and it looks a little like the movie dog.
Watching the Joe Camp production was a little like opening a time capsule. There were some interesting things there, but you definitely feel like you going through someone else’s closet. In both cases, you have been given an open invitation, but it still feels a little odd.
In short, the movie is about a “dog with no home” in a non-described, rural southern town. We see the dog’s daily routine. We meet the dog’s friends.
Then we get to the plot. The home where the dog lives is broken into by young, well dressed people who are preparing to kidnap someone. Of course, those kidnapped are the dog’s friends.
In the end, the bad guys are caught, the dog is adopted and everyone lives happy. In 1974, it was the top “family” film and one of the top films of the year. It was Camp’s most famous and popular film. Several more “Benji” movies were made, but none could top the original.
The sad truth is that “Benji” will never be held in the high esteem of “The Wizard of Oz” or “Snow White”. It is simply a poor film. There are too many slow scenes of dogs running and real time and in slow motion. We see Benji travel through the same parts of town over and over again, to the same old Charlie Rich song.
There are cameos by Francis Bavier (Aunt Bee from “The Andy Griffith Show”) and Edgar Buchanan (Uncle Joe from “Petticoat Junction”). It was obvious both filmed their short scenes in one day, but both added nice warmth to the film.
Patsy Garrett, a “former child star” (I can’t find a thing about her career as a youth), had the best human role as a nanny and good friend to Benji. She went on to do plenty of guest starring roles on television and became a spokesperson for Purina Cat Chow (huh?).
Still, the star of the movie is Benji. Camp knew how to make this great little actor shine. The dog was also rescued from a shelter to co-star on the “Petticoat Junction” series before starring in this movie. He made one more Benji movie before leaving the role in subsequent movies to other look-alikes.
I was pretty young when I saw the film in 1974. I had never seen it until recently and was a little embarrassed. I remembered it as a nice warm film, and it was. What I didn’t remember was the slow pace and repetitive score. Nonetheless, it was worth the time to see it again and enjoy it with my family. If you have already seen “Crash” and “Hotel Rwanda” and need a change of pace, check it out sometime. You may just find out why we needed a new dog.
Watching the Joe Camp production was a little like opening a time capsule. There were some interesting things there, but you definitely feel like you going through someone else’s closet. In both cases, you have been given an open invitation, but it still feels a little odd.
In short, the movie is about a “dog with no home” in a non-described, rural southern town. We see the dog’s daily routine. We meet the dog’s friends.
Then we get to the plot. The home where the dog lives is broken into by young, well dressed people who are preparing to kidnap someone. Of course, those kidnapped are the dog’s friends.
In the end, the bad guys are caught, the dog is adopted and everyone lives happy. In 1974, it was the top “family” film and one of the top films of the year. It was Camp’s most famous and popular film. Several more “Benji” movies were made, but none could top the original.
The sad truth is that “Benji” will never be held in the high esteem of “The Wizard of Oz” or “Snow White”. It is simply a poor film. There are too many slow scenes of dogs running and real time and in slow motion. We see Benji travel through the same parts of town over and over again, to the same old Charlie Rich song.
There are cameos by Francis Bavier (Aunt Bee from “The Andy Griffith Show”) and Edgar Buchanan (Uncle Joe from “Petticoat Junction”). It was obvious both filmed their short scenes in one day, but both added nice warmth to the film.
Patsy Garrett, a “former child star” (I can’t find a thing about her career as a youth), had the best human role as a nanny and good friend to Benji. She went on to do plenty of guest starring roles on television and became a spokesperson for Purina Cat Chow (huh?).
Still, the star of the movie is Benji. Camp knew how to make this great little actor shine. The dog was also rescued from a shelter to co-star on the “Petticoat Junction” series before starring in this movie. He made one more Benji movie before leaving the role in subsequent movies to other look-alikes.
I was pretty young when I saw the film in 1974. I had never seen it until recently and was a little embarrassed. I remembered it as a nice warm film, and it was. What I didn’t remember was the slow pace and repetitive score. Nonetheless, it was worth the time to see it again and enjoy it with my family. If you have already seen “Crash” and “Hotel Rwanda” and need a change of pace, check it out sometime. You may just find out why we needed a new dog.
Labels: Entertainment, Family
posted by Alexander Dimm | 8:29 PM
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